Itasca board approves first reading to rezone property for new Itasca Fire District station at 1295 N. Arlington Heights Road

The Village of Itasca Board of Trustees on Aug. 6 voted on first reading to approve a rezoning, special use and several variances to permit the construction of a new one-story, approximately 7,000-square-foot fire station for the Itasca Fire District at 1295 North Arlington Heights Road.

Trustee Gavanas (presenting the Community Development Committee report) said the Itasca Fire District is the petitioner and owner and seeks to rezone the property from R-1 single-family residential to B-3 service business, obtain a special use to allow a fire station, secure class 1 site plan review, and receive multiple variances related to parking setbacks, drive-aisle widths and lighting levels. Gavanas said the proposal calls for a two-door apparatus bay and living quarters for five staff members and two curb cuts to allow on-site maneuvering of fire apparatus.

Staff summarized the plan commission review and said the plan commission held a public hearing on July 17 and unanimously recommended approval (6-0) subject to staff conditions, which include final engineering, permits from DuPage County and the Illinois Department of Transportation where required, recorded easements for stormwater and off-site landscaping, and legal descriptions for required easements. The staff report notes the petitioner is coordinating with neighboring property owners, the church and Elk Grove Park District on off-site landscaping and stormwater connections.

Representatives of the Itasca Fire District said trees on the site would be removed and replaced; the district said it would maintain plantings in perpetuity and that it has worked with adjacent property owners and park district engineers on stormwater connections. The petitioner estimated the fire station construction cost at about $5.2 million (site purchase earlier reported at $400,000), and told trustees no new apparatus would be purchased with the project.

Trustees asked questions about turning maneuvers, the need for median lighting to alert drivers to apparatus movement, and coordination with neighboring park district property. The petitioner said they have implemented median lights in other locations and would evaluate adding them if safety analysis showed the need. Public comment at the plan commission hearing included representatives of adjacent commercial properties and no written objections were received.

Action taken: Trustee Gavanas moved to approve the rezoning and map amendment, special use for a fire station, class 1 site plan review and variances as recommended by the plan commission (PC 24-005) and the board carried the motion on a roll-call vote. The item will proceed on the consent agenda for final approval at the next meeting after required permitting and recording of easements and final engineering.

Next steps: The petitioner must submit final engineering and obtain any required county or state permits, record agreed easements and return with final documents for the board's final approval after plan compliance checks and permit review.